The Land of the Black Mountain eBook

P. joined me, and together we watched the sunset.
On our left towered the Kom, and running in an unbroken
chain circled a mountain range, ending in the setting
sun. Low down an angry bank of clouds hung over
the distant peaks, and into this mass of black and
grey the sun, in all its glory of yellow and gold,
sank slowly. The hills between us seemed wild
and mysterious. Away to our left, in gloomy confusion,
the Albanian Alps reared their heads, lit here and
there with a red gleam of sunlight. At our feet,
shrouded in impenetrable blackness, lay two steep
ravines. The sun sank, leaving a weird eerie feeling
behind, and we found ourselves strangely cold.

We spent many days with Vaso, shooting with indifferent
results, but revelling in the glories of nature.

We left Andrijevica finally one morning about eight
a.m. for our many days’ ride along the Albanian
frontier to Podgorica. Everyone turned out to
bid us farewell, from the Voivoda, who expressed his
regret that we had seen no one shot, downwards.
The Voivoda’s son and a small party accompanied
us to the outskirts of the town, where a quaint notice-board
bears the inscription that, on pain of a fine, shooting
is forbidden within the prescribed limits.

Here, after much hand-shaking and promises to come
again, we mounted, and drawing our revolvers, replied
right merrily to the farewell volleys of our friends.
It is a pleasant custom that—­shooting at
parting.

[Illustration: THE RAVINE OF TERPETLIS]

We rode for two or three hours along the Perusica
valley till we came to a small and scattered village,
Konjuhe, where we dismounted for a rest. It was
the birthplace of the Voivoda, and his brother still
lived there. He was immediately sent for.
When he heard of our proposed tour, he insisted on
our taking an additional escort (besides Dr. S., and
Stephan our servant, we had engaged another man, named
Milan, in Andrijevica) of at least two men, as the
country was just now in a very dangerous condition.
The necessary guard was soon found, and after a long
halt owing to a heavy shower, we were able to proceed
on our way, first carefully loading our rifles and
overhauling our revolvers. Our two men were quite
celebrated for a famous raid into Gusinje, in which
they had played an active part a short time ago.
They had killed several Albanians, and captured two
hundred sheep. As the Albanians would shoot them
at sight, they seemed hardly fitted to act as an escort;
but then every man from that part is engaged, more
or less, in a blood feud across the border.